Improvement in water-bed fences



J. P. BELUE Water BedIence.

Patented April2,1878.

lnlmmmu Nil-724$, PMOH'LLWHnGRAPHFR. WASHINGTON D. c.

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB F. BELUE, OF IUKA, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN A..WILEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-BED FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,983, dated April 2, 1878 application filed January 23, 1878. I

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in water-bed fences 5 and it consists in securing three-cornered rails or timbers to the bottom of the stream, up the banks, and along the overflowed land, in an inclined position, whereby all floating particles can pass freely over or through between; but the rails will prevent any live stock from passing over from either direction, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one of my water-gates. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

Across the bottom of the stream and up the sides of thebankIfirmly secure, in any suitable manner, the logs or timbers a, upon the tops of which are fastened the sharp-edged three-cornered rails 0.. At a suitable distance up the stream are secured to the bottom and sides of the stream small'er, flatter timbers, d, to which the upper ends of the rails o are fastened,the ends of the rails being preferably beveled away, as shown, so that they can be more easily fastened. The ends of the rails down stream being so much higher than the other ends, and the upper edges of the rails being sharp, it will readily be seen that all floating trash and objects will readily pass over the top edges of the rails or in between their sides, whilelive stock cannot pass over them atall. As the banks are often overflowed, in such a manner as to wash away the fences along the sides of the stream, the sharp-edged inclined rails c are arranged along the banks in the same manner, with the exception that the ends of the rails down stream are raised much higher. For this purpose, posts, stakes, or other suitable foundations, e, are set in the ground, and then the cross-timbers g are secured upon their tops, and to these timbers g the higher ends of the rails are fastened.

Water-bed fences constructed as above described will "not wash away, do not catch floating particles, so as to obstruct the flow of the water, and thus cause it to overflow, and will not allow live stock to pass over at any time. For the purpose of fastening the ends of the rails 0, holes may be bored through them and wooden pins driven through into the timbers on which they rest, and thus avoid the use of iron. The posts e'will have braces applied to two or more of their sides before the top timbers are fastened down upon them, and thus the structure will be-made much more firm and secure.

This invention is specially intended to prevent live stock of all kinds from passing from one field to another.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A water-bed fence composed of sharp-edged rails c, which are secured to suitable sills or timbers, arranged in such relation to each other that the rails will be supported in an inclined position, whereby water and all floating objects will pass freely over their tops, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of January, '187 8.

JACOB FRANKLIN BELUE.

Witnesses:

A. M. REYNOLDS, R. D. HIGDON. 

